A Difference between Hell and Heaven
by purplenightmare
Summary: This is setted right after Tabula Rasa. Buffy is still having to deal with Spike but on top of that a lot of strange happenings are going on in Sunneydale including Dawn going missing. This is B/S. Introduces a new character. Please R&R.


present day: Sunneydale  
  
A brown hard cover book lay in the center of the magic shop in display for the customers to buy. Inside of its pages has the secret to an unsolved mystery for a new nuisance in Sunneydale. The demon had already set up shop in one of the old run down warehouses located on the outskirts of town. Nobody knew of him, not even any of the vampires in the area worked for him, but he was here for a certain person he was here to capture. Actually a certain girl...formally known as the key.  
  
present day: Centerville, Georgia  
  
Another girl of 13 years, still wondered why she was put on this earth. Why God had let her be born and suffer on this messed up world who hated her so much. She cried herself to sleep so many times and she wanted death most of all. She had no idea what was to come up in her life. Soon she was to find the answer to her questions...why she was here. Sarah knew that Buffy and her scoobies weren't real but how she longed for them to be. They could maybe take away her pain, understand what she was going through, they could be her friends....she'd find peace for once, maybe.  
  
October 3rd, 2001:  
Summer's house...6:30 pm  
  
"Dawn, where are you going?" Buffy Summers asked as the long dark hared teen grabbed hold of the gold doorknob and turned it.  
"Remember you said I could spin the night with Rebecca? That's where I'm going," She answered as the door swung open and her left foot stepped out into the evening breeze.  
"Do you remember last time this happened? You know, Halloween and you skipped out with your other friend. Then that vampire wanted to change you and I had to save your butt for like the millionth time," Buffy reminded as she sat on the couch with a Seventeen magazine in her hands and her socked feet propped up on a wooden chair.   
"Oh Buffy, I promise it won't happen again. Just please let me go this one time? Look, tell you what, 20 minutes from now call Becca's house and ask if I'm there. If I'm not ground me and I'll never spin the night at anybody's ever again, okay?" Dawn smiled at her sister with an almost puppy dog begging for food look.   
"Fine, but 20 minutes and you're not there I'll stake you."  
"Agreed," with that Dawn walk out of the house and the door slammed behind her with a loud bang. The cool breeze chilled her cheeks slightly and they now were a pinkish color, "Oh well, guess I can't go to Spike's after all. Damn. Kinda looking forward to it."  
She followed the sidewalk down until about two blocks and came up to a red brick two story house with two evergreen trees beside the walkway. Dawn trotted up to the brown front door and knocked. Rustling could be heard, then the door creaked open. Rebecca wasn't the one who opened it though nor was it her mother. Dawn tried to scream but she was yanked into the opening and it casually closed behind her.  
******  
The clock struck 7:00 and Buffy lifted herself up. She paced into the kitchen and dialed the number on the front table that Dawn had left her. It rung a few times and then a woman's voice was heard, "Hello?" It was strangled yet friendly.  
"Hi this is Buffy Summers, Dawn's sister. Is she there yet? Because she told me that you said it was alright for her to spend the night-"  
"Oh yes, Dawn. She's a sweetie. Yes, she's here already. Rebecca and her are in my daughter's bedroom.She can't talk right now."  
"Oh that's perfectly fine, I just needed to know if she was there. Thank you."  
"Sure thing deary."  
The line goes dead. Buffy puts it back in its place and sighs... patrol time.  
She lazily goes over to the coat rack by the front door and grabs her jacket. A stake already in its right place as for the cross on her neck. She opens the front door and out into night.  
Reaching the Sunneydale cemetery, all was a little too quiet. Nobody was around to kill. No bads going around trying to get innocent blood. Buffy hadn't even seen Spike at all yet. As if he was reading her thoughts, she could sense him behind her but when she turned around, drawing her stake, there was only air, "Freaky..." Her mouth formed into a frown and her hazel eyes searched the graveyard, nothing to be found.  
"Where is everybody?" She asked no one in particular. Buffy moved forward once more, then decided to give up. She put the stake back into her jacket and moved toward the exit. Her nerves were partly worked because something unnatural was going on but she couldn't figure out what it was.   
A cold hand grabbed her back. Startled, she jumped almost five feet in the air and gave out a shriek. A chill went through her body as she turned around to see who it was...Spike.   
"Damn it Spike! You scared me," Buffy said, disapproving.  
"I scared you, slayer? That's different. Never thought I could do that in a million bloody years," he forwarded, smirking at Buffy and very pleased with himself.  
"Whatever, just don't do it again. By the way, do you know why there's nobody out here and its all quiet and really eerie?" She slightly brushed herself off for no reason, just giving herself something to do.  
"Haven't got clue, luv. Funny thing about it is I haven't seen any vampires anywhere," Spike reached into his duster's pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes. Got out a lighter and lit one. He took a drag then let back it out and started to stare at Buffy again.  
"I know, " Buffy stared up into the sky, bored, "why did you sneak up on me like that?"  
He took another drag of his cigarette, "Just wondering what you were doing out so early, that's all."  
"Dawn spent the night at some friend's house and I had nothing to do so I decided to patrol but it looks like I came out here for no reason."  
"I remember the last time she said she was going over to a friend's house. Almost got killed. I really didn't like that Zach fella she liked. He was dumb and didn't know thing about being a vampire. Wanker."  
"Yeah. Well I'm gonna get going, I'll see you around Spike," her legs started to move her out of the graveyard.  
"Buffy...I need to talk to you," he turned serious all of a sudden and dropped the cigarette to the ground.  
"About what, Spike? Because if its about that kiss-"  
"It is."  
"I don't want to talk. Bye," she moved back toward the exit, hoping to get away from the situation.  
"Buffy, please. You can't run away everytime I start to talk about it, we kissed. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Two times already," he started to catch up to her, his hand reaching out to touch her's.  
"It doesn't mean anything Spike. It was a mistake, it won't happen again."  
"But what if it does, what will you then? It means a lot to me Buffy and if you don't really mean anything by it, stop teasing me."  
Buffy stopped for a minute and looked Spike straight in the eye, "I don't Spike...I don't really mean anything by it," she started her pace again back toward her house, "just a mistake...completely a mistake," she whispered to herself and half of it to Spike.  
"Damn it, Buffy. I will never understand the things you do or why you fucking do them. Why in the bloody hell do I still love you for it?" Spike stood there, watching Buffy leave, then turned around and moved back toward his crypt.  
Realizing he had stopped bothering her, Buffy stopped and glanced back at the cemetery and stared at Spike like a lost puppy, she just didn't know what to do anymore. She ran back toward him, then tackled him down. Both ending up on the ground and Buffy basically straddling him.  
"See, you play with me, pet. Stop bloody torturing me," Spike said in a low tone just so Buffy could hear it.  
"I'm sorry Spike," then she leaned her head down, just inches from his face. Her dirty blonde hair barely touching his skin, "I'm sorry, I just don't know what's got into me these days,"breathing heavily, their lips touched a little. Spike grinned wolfishly and grabbed Buffy's waist. He rolled over until he was on top, Buffy giggled, and then Spike leaned down and kissed her passionately.   
He growled deep in his throat and his teeth cut her lip. Her blood went into their mouths and Spike almost went wild when he got a taste of it. He hadn't had any human blood we such a long time. He wished ever so much to have the chip out so he could sink his fangs into the warm flesh of her neck and make her squirm. Buffy closed her eyes in ecstasy as his hands unbuttoned her pants and snaked under her shirt, over her breasts and then way down and under her panties.  
She moaned into his mouth, she broke away from the kiss for a second to get a breath. Spike stared in her eyes. His midnight blue ones almost freezing her in place, the smile went from her lips, they almost scared her even. Starting to feel a little light headed and a small pit of fear growing inside her stomach, Buffy tried to push him off of her but it wasn't any use, he wouldn't leave her alone.  
"Spike I want to go home," she felt like a 10 year old as she said those words, about to get raped by an evil man and no one could help her.  
Spike could smell her fear, which was weird. Slayers weren't suppose to get scared, especially if it was a vampire. Of course Spike had been stronger, more cunning then the rest of his kind but that gave no reason for Buffy to fear him. His eyes filled with concern and his mouth lost its smile, "Buffy, are you afraid of me?" She wouldn't answer and once more tried to push him off her, he still wouldn't let her go.  
"Please let me go," her eyes threatened to let tears spill down her cheeks. She avoided his eyes and pushed against his chest with her tiny hands.  
"You are afraid of me, aren't you? Why?" Spike looked at her face searching for any answer but none came up. He decided to let her go, for now. He stood up and Buffy pushed herself up and then started to amble away filling absolutely violated and guilty.  
Spike watched her go and reflected on what had just happened. A grin replaced the frown and the demon inside of him was delighted, "I made the slayer scared of me."  
  
October 4th  
Summer house: 3:30pm   
  
Buffy clicked on the television and the news appeared. The news anchor looked sad and miserable as he told about last night's happenings. Rebecca's house showed up on the screen. It was burnt pretty badly and ambulances lined up in front of the walkway. The man on the screen says that Rebecca's mother was killed the night before but there was no evidence to which complies to who killed her. Rebecca's body was not found but they figure she's dead too. Both murdered by a ghost. Nobody else was there with them, they say. Buffy eyes widen.They didn't find Dawn.  
  
Magic shop: 4:00pm  
  
The small bell rung as the glass door was pushed opened. Buffy walked through and trotted toward the cash register where Anya was counting money. Business was low and there were no customers.   
"Oh, good afternoon Buffy. How can I help you? Have any money to which you would like purchase something?" Anya smiled at Buffy, Buffy did the same and said the usually "hi".  
"Do you know where Giles's number is?" Buffy's eyes darted around the shop, searching for nothing in particular and any clue to where if Giles had been there or not.  
"Actually he left it in the office. Want me to get it for you?" The smile stayed plastered to her face and would never fade away.  
"No thanks, I can get it. Uh, have you seen Willow today?"  
"No or Xander. Weird, huh?"  
"Yeah."  
Buffy walked toward the office located in the back of the store and glanced at the wooden desk. There on a yellow post-it note was a scribble made by Giles two days ago before he had left. She already missed him terribly. Her right hand shot out and ripped it up off the desk. Walking back up front, she glimpsed a white telephone hooked to a wall and grabbed it. She stared down at the note and dialed the number. It rang a few times, then she got his answer machine and sighed.   
"You have reached 2224589. I'm sorry but I'm not here right now but if you leave your name and number after the beep, I'll try to reach you later..." A couple of moments went by, then an annoying beep could be heard.  
"Giles, its me Buffy. I need to talk to you. Dawn's gone missing and everything's so strange around here. I'll be at the magic shop but if I'm not call my house. Thanks, bye-"  
"Hello?" a British tone asks.  
"Giles?"  
"Buffy?"  
"Yeah, I need you here."  
"We've been through this, Buffy."  
"I know, look everything getting a little weird...when I went out patrolling last night, there were no vampires or demons for that matter. I don't know what's going on around here. Dawn's gone missing."  
"Oh dear. Well, have you done any researching on it yet."  
"No and I have nothing to go on. Plus I can't find anybody except for Anya who's at the magic shop with me."  
"Well Buffy, I don't know what to tell you. Have you went to Spike about it?"  
Last night flashed through her mind and visions filled her head. A chill went down her spine, "Yeah, but he didn't know anything."  
"Oh well, start looking for Dawn. Find out what she did last night and-"  
"She went over to a friend's house last night to stay over and this morning, on the news, turns out her friend and her friend's mother was murdered last night. The funny part about that is there was no indication that Dawn was actually there."  
"Deary me. Look Buffy, gather up the gang and see if you can find out anything at all about what's happening in Sunneydale. See if you can figure out what's happened to Dawn. Maybe a new demon is in town looking for you and now that they finally have your attention they're going to something drastic. Don't worry, it'll all come to you soon. I promise, okay. I have to go now Buffy. Take care."  
"But Giles...alright, bye."  
Click. The dial tone replaces Giles's voice.  
"Alright Buffy, lets figure out what the hell is fucking going on around here."  
  
Summer's house: 5:00pm  
  
"Willow! Willow, you there?" Buffy yelled up the stairs in search of an answer. Nothing.   
Her footsteps could be heard throughout the house as she climbed up the stairs. When she reached Willow's room, nobody was there. Passing it up, she went into her room. On the perfect white painted walls, blood was splattered along it. Buffy stared at it in horror. Wriiten on the wall with the scarlet ink, it said, "I've got her. Come and get her, kitten."  
Her eyes glimpsed the blue carpet. The body of Tara laid on it, her throat and wrists slashed open. Buffy gagged and coughed. She ran back out of the room and into the bathroom. There, she puked in the toilet. Her eyes teared up and the tears spilled down her cheeks.   
Downstairs, the door opened. A note blew in and laid on the carpet. The note was also scarlet. Buffy slowly tried to make her way down the stairs. As she reached the ground, she collapsed. Her weak hand grabbed the note as the cool autumn wind chilled her body and the outstretched hand. She brought the paper up to her face and read it over and over again. Replaying the last time she saw Dawn with her own eyes.  
"Kitten, I've got your beloved sister here with me. She's ever so pretty, like you. I'm expecting with all my heart that you will come and rescue her. Please do that, I would love to have your company. Plus she's expecting you to come and save her. Problem is I can't see you just yet, well the laws of nature won't let you not until you have the chosen one who is to save your beloved, pretty kitten. The blood of the wiccan did that. I know you are smart enough to find the other pretty kitten who is like yourself. Good luck, kitten. See you until then. Charles."  
Tears streamed down in a frenzy and dropped to the cold ground. Filled with frustration and anger, Buffy screamed.  
  
Centerville, Georgia: 6:00pm  
  
"Mom, please let me stay home. I swear I won't watch Buffy, I've got a lot of homework to do anyway. Mom, please," Sarah White begged as her 11 year old sister tried to drag her to the car, "Crystal leave me alone!"  
"Mom, tell Sarah to just come on. Buffy is not a god, Sarah, you can live without it for goodness sake," Crystal complained as she finally let go of Sarah's arm and trotted to the car, "just leave her here mom."  
Sarah stared at her mom in the front seat of the red Chevrolet truck. Her face was disapproving, not understanding. Crystal grabbed hold of the door handle and jumped into the backseat of the truck.  
"Sarah, why the hell is Buffy so damn important? Huh? Fine, just stay the fuck here, for all I care. Bye," Ruth's eyes bore holes through her daughter. Sarah didn't notice and shouted with glee. The truck backed out of the driveway and onto Centerville Way. Sarah didn't wave goodbye because her sister and mother wouldn't have noticed nor waved back if they had, they hated Sarah.  
She grabbed hold of the front door's golden handle and opened it. She closed it behind her and locked it. She ran to her bedroom, not bothering to turn the lights on because she hated light, and lit two candles. On her bookshelf she grabbed one of the recorded Buffy tapes and put it into the VCR.  
Sarah jumped onto her bed and the room filled up with different exotic colors. Through the curtained window, you could make out the sunset on the horizon and the luminous moon glowing in the night sky. Fall was finally here.  
Sarah's eyes widened with happiness as she started to hear words and music spew out of the speaker on the television. The episode was called "Fool for love".  
It was Sarah's favorite, she had memorized the entire thing, not that it actually mattered in the real world but it mattered to her. To her, she believed the characters were real. Not having any friends nor any social life for that matter and depression haunting her waking hours, she daydreamed she lived in Sunneydale and that the Buffy characters existed.  
She had left the tape at the part where Spike and Buffy just got to the Bronze and Spike being very cocky as usual. Looking into his magical blue eyes, Sarah smiled as if he was looking straight at her and she blushed, turning away from the screen. Earlier on that year, Sarah had made a choker and the beads spelled out, "Spike". She had never took it off since then.   
As Sarah caught a glimpse of Buffy, this agonizing feeling went through her and she felt as if she was going to throw up. Tears starting streaming down her face and then she screamed aloud. This happened often. Feelings would appear out of nowhere and then disappear in an instant but this time it wasn't going away. An image filled her mind, Buffy laying on the ground, a note clutched in her weak hand, she was crying. Then Sarah filled Buffy's body and saw what she saw. The front door was opened and the wind blew on her. It was so very, very cold. Images of something that had happened the night before with Spike filled her mind.  
Everything was so scary and Dawn was missing. Giles was gone and had went back to England. Tara was dead, her blood splattered on Buffy's wall. A note... Sarah shook her head and then woke up from the dream. The tape was already over and a blue filled the room. It was 8:00 pm now. Sarah ran to the bathroom and puked. 


End file.
